


Like a Tidal Wave

by MythicalMochi



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, It's G-rated now, Link finally get to be the mermaid guys!!!, M/M, gonna be explicit next chapter, human!Rhett, mer!Link, merman!Link, tags will change, there's a hint of flirting that's it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-08-11 16:01:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20156251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MythicalMochi/pseuds/MythicalMochi
Summary: Rhett meets a Merman and has a crash course in learning all about this mythical creature.





	Like a Tidal Wave

**Author's Note:**

> I don't plan on dragging this one out, maybe 2 or 3 chapters, so it'll move quick. Rated it mature just because of where this is heading. Expect a definite rating change for next chapter :) This also isn't beta'd, so I apologize in advance if it's a mess.
> 
> If you want more Rhink goodness, follow me @santa-monica-yacht-club on tumblr!
> 
> Please enjoy! <3

Rhett led a life that most would probably consider mind-numbingly plain. But it was all Rhett needed out of life.

A small, modest home nestled into the treeline of a deciduous forest, not a 5 minute walk from the banks of a large freshwater river. No neighbors as far as he could see. A rickety, sun-bleached wooden dock perched on the bank of the river, complete with Rhett’s prized possession; His boat. 

It wasn’t like it was particularly flashy or expensive. It was a matte taupe color, just roomy enough for a large man like Rhett, and no motor to speak of. The boat itself wasn’t even what mattered most to Rhett. It’s where the boat took him.

Out on the water was where Rhett felt most at peace. The gentle lapping of the river’s current created dainty little clicks and bubbles against the side of the metal boat. The oars’ caress on the water cut through the current like butter. The sun always shone bright and uninhibited, warming his skin and lifting his mood. Birds sang their melodies, breezes gently rustled the cattails and reeds on the bank, and on some days, Rhett could swear he’d hear the river itself singing to him.

He’d heard it since he’d moved to this area and began spending every afternoon he could out on the water, drifting along the gentle current. He’d once taken a long distance float both far down and upstream in search of another human enjoying the river’s company but always came up empty. With no other explanation, he settled on the whimsical idea of the river having its own autonomy, so pleased with it’s own beauty that it can’t help but hum an enchanting tune, careless of who may hear. Though strange in origin, it calmed his soul in ways he couldn’t explain, and he would recline himself against the bow of his boat each time and listen as long as the ethereal song would care to last. It almost felt clandestine, like he was witness to something that no one else was supposed to hear.

That is, until the day he found a beautifully polished snail shell waiting for him one afternoon, dead center on the outer edge of his dock. It was one thing for the river to sing, it was another for it to acknowledge his presence and start leaving gifts.

Rhett knelt down and cradled the delicate shell in his palm. It was breathtaking; About the size of a golf ball, delicate swirls of sky blue and jade green, pearlescent and shimmery, free of any blemishes, dirt or algae. 

And there it was again, the haunting melody. Only this time, it felt closer. Closer and somehow even more captivating.

Rhett perked up and scanned the shoreline. It felt like the song came from everywhere at once, completely enveloping him. His heart picked up speed and he rose to his feet as if the song itself pulled him so. One step, two steps, he edged closer to the edge of the dock like the river’s tune was a phantom, lassoing him in.

He looked down just in time to see a dark silhouette glide under the dock and disappear deeper into the water. Much too large to be any native species. He stood still as could be, straining his eyes to peer into the depths, hoping the creature would circle around again. Rhett knew carp could grow to insane sizes, but this thing had to have spanned at least 8 feet long.

Suddenly a flash of iridescent scales below him caught his eye. Impossibly bright blues and greens sparkled along a broad, scaled figure, tapering to a flowing fin so long, delicate and graceful. Rhett had never seen anything so otherworldly. Usually fish are camouflaged to their surroundings, but this thing lit up like a marquee.

Rhett dropped to his knees, white-knuckling the edge of the dock so he could crane himself down as close to the water as possible. He had to get a better look. His eyes struggled to focus as he peered into the seemingly endless water, hoping to catch any sight of movement. After a few minutes he’d begun to think he must have imagined the whole thing until two eyes became just visible rising from the deep, just enough for the sun to brightly illuminate their icy blue hue.

Rhett yelped and scrambled backwards onto the dock. Eyes. Human eyes. It was impossible, he surely would have seen someone dive in nearby. No one could hold their breath long enough to sit in the deep like that. Rhett sat there clutching his chest, eyes wide in panic and locked onto the surface of the water. He should run. Every nerve in his body was screaming for him to do just that. But there was just enough curiosity to hold him there, frozen and unable to look away.

The surface of the water in front of the dock began bubbling and undulating, sending Rhett’s heart into a frenzy. Whatever this thing was, it was about to make an appearance. With barely a sound, a human hand rose from the water and gently gripped onto the dock. Then a second one. Rhett was sure he was about to lose his mind if he hadn’t already.

Slowly, a figure rose from the water. Inky black hair, porcelain skin, broad shoulders, and those eyes. Piercing blue, but gentle and innocent in expression. Rhett could not believe it. He, it, this thing was human. At least all signs pointed towards that fact. But how. None of this encounter seemed humanly possible.

Rhett slowly shuffled his body upright, his hand sending something skittering a few inches away. Rhett looked down and saw the shell, its dazzling colors dancing in the sun as it rocked to a standstill. The same dazzling colors as--

The tail. Rhett’s eyes snapped back to the man-- the thing-- at the end of his dock, sitting patiently. It couldn’t be. They only existed in children’s books and Disney movies. Besides, even if they were to exist, surely it’d be in the ocean. Not some simple river. He was imagining things. He was surely dehydrated, hallucinating, coming down with some strange ill--

“You know I’ve never been an expert on human interaction, but I’m pretty sure it’s considered bad etiquette to gawk,”

Rhett was sure his heart had stopped right then and there. His mouth moved, but no words came out. The creature lowered itself down onto it’s elbows, fingers gently rapping against the wood in wait. 

“And greetings? Those are customary still, right? Come on, I can’t be better at this than you are.”

Rhett slowly pulled himself to his feet, poised to run in the opposite direction at any moment. His hand slowly rose in front of him, a shaky finger extended towards the raven-haired creature.

“S-siren.” Rhett said, his face still painted in shock.

The creature’s head tilted in confusion.

“Siren? Like those things that sing to lure sailors to their deaths?”

There was a pause, but then the creature threw back it’s head in a raucous, melodious laughter, one hand slapping the dock in amusement.

“Really? A siren? Oh gosh, that’s funny. You really think I have that kind of power?”

Rhett’s stance loosened, but only slightly. 

“But the song, your song? I’ve been hearing it since I moved here. It’s like a spell.” Rhett croaked out, every nerve in his body not willing to cooperate in any function that points toward staying in this situation.

The creature grinned, pointy teeth glimmering in the sun.

“I just like to sing. It was nice to have an audience for once, and you seemed to enjoy it so I’d just sing whatever came to mind whenever I’d see you. Win-win situation. Not my fault it drew you in as much as it apparently did.” The creature shrugged, it’s tail gently lapping at the surface of the water behind him, sending vibrant colors dancing across the ripples. 

Rhett chanced a step forward, but the creature didn’t move. He sat there, casual as could be, resting off the edge of the dock as if it were an old friend stopping for a chat.

“What are you then?” Rhett asked, his eyes panning over every inch of the creature’s body. Human upper half. Fishy lower half. Rhett knew what he was. He just needed to hear it.

The creature pushed back off of the dock, swimming a slow circle on his back at the surface, arms up in a shrug gesture. His tail undulated slowly, propelling him with only the slightest of movements.

“Pretty sure you humans call us Mermen. Might have changed, it’s been a while. I don’t make a habit of getting close enough to be seen by your kind. ‘Cause, you know...” The merman mimed a knife being driven into his gut a few times, a pointed tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.

Rhett slowly inched his way forward until he was a few feet from the end of the dock and sat down hesitantly. Sure, this thing doesn’t seem hostile but he knew nothing of what they were really like now that he’s discovered they exist. The stories of sirens and incubi and other creatures who use charm to lure in victims must exist for a reason.

“So why now? Why me?” Rhett questioned, his eyes still narrowed in confusion and skepticism.

The merman laid his head back on the water in thought, fingers tapping idly on his stomach as he continued to swim slow, languid circles.

“Oh, I don’t know. The fact you seem to spend almost as much time out here as I do? The fact that you don’t steal from my food source or pollute my home like the others? That you never got scared or sick of my singing? Felt like you might be one of the more benevolent ones, like you could be a… I don’t know, a possible companion? There aren’t any others like me in this area anymore, it does get kinda boring. Figured I’d take a risk.”

Rhett glanced behind him, the small snail shell still sat shining bright under the sun.

“And the shell? Was that you?”

The merman’s eyes went wide as once hidden gills flared out slightly from the sides of his neck. Well, at least there was no mistaking that this wasn’t a hoax now. He sank down until only his head was visible over the water’s surface, a bluish blush creeping across his cheeks.

“...Yeah. Thought you might like it.” He said quietly.

Rhett nodded slowly, hunching over and resting his elbows on his knees, his body finally coming down from the adrenaline high.

“I do, I do. It’s beautiful and I’m sorry I wasn’t more grateful, it’s just. This is a lot to handle at once. Do you have a name?” Rhett asked, his eyes still curiously panning over the merman’s form which has now slightly bristled at the latest inquiry.

“Do you only speak in questions? Golly. Yes, I have a name. But you probably can’t pronounce it.”

Rhett’s gaze sharpened. Who knew mythical creatures could be so snarky? 

“Try me. I’m sure I can figure it out.”

The merman rolled his eyes, and with a flourish of his tail, let out a sound like Rhett’s never heard before; A deep rumble paired with a tinny metallic clicking overlaid on top, lasting no more than a second. The pair sat silent staring at one another, the merman definitively more dead-eyed.

“Yeah, thought so. Anyway, if you want something you can pronounce, you can call me Link.” He said as he swam up to the dock once again, resting his upper body weight on his arms.

Rhett’s body tensed from the sudden close proximity, but quickly relaxed back down.

“Link? Where’d you come up with that?”

Link ran a tongue along his jagged teeth, eyes casting up to the sky. 

“I’m about to take back my choice of socializing with you if you keep interrogating me. You don’t see me grilling you for answers, do you? I experimented with different human speech sounds and ended up liking this one. Rolls off the tongue, simple as that.”

Link glanced up to Rhett, his once irritated features softening after seeing the apologetic wince on his face.

“Sorry, sorry, it’s just a lot to deal with after barely speaking to anyone for years. I should learn to expect this type of thing anyway. I guess I should know your name then too?” Link said, his tail splashing gently behind him.

“I’m Rhett.”

Link looked off in the distance, repeating Rhett’s name quietly to himself, barely an audible whisper.

“Damnit, that name rolls even better off the tongue than mine. Kind of upset I didn’t think of it first. Though I’d imagine it’d be weird to find a freakin’ merman with the same name as you, huh?”

The pair giggled softly. Rhett took a moment to really drink in Link’s features. He was an attractive man, at least his top half was. A short mop of black hair, surely a beautiful dark halo in the water but now plastered wet to his forehead was a stark contrast to his impossibly icy blue eyes. His arms were sturdy and toned without being exceedingly muscular. His shoulders were broad and masculine, and his smooth chest had just enough definition to accentuate the faintly shimmering skin, almost as if there were a thin layer of iridescent glitter painted onto him upon close inspection. His waist was narrow, almost feminine in it’s daintiness, especially so against his broad and powerful tail.

Gosh, that tail. Rhett had never seen something so out of this world. Large scales interlocked so smoothly that it almost looked like skin, only showing their definition when the sunlight would beam off of each one as the powerful muscle works beneath. The base color was a cornflower blue, but it shone in a myriad of the most vibrant blues, neon greens and teals. His main tail fin had to be at least 3 feet long, like a transparent sky blue veil of the most delicate silk fabric always trailing gracefully behind him. There was a smaller fin of the same elegant nature trailing atop the dorsal side of his tail, poised into an elegant fan by a few arched spines. It was one of the most beautiful sights Rhett had ever seen.

“Can I touch your tail?” The words were out of Rhett’s mouth before he could catch them. He instantly grimaced at his own outburst.

Link’s gills quickly flared out again, small pleated sheets of blue fanning out from underneath the slits of skin on the sides of his neck. His shoulders went stiff as the blush came back to his face.

“That’s, um. That’s a very bold question, Rhett.” Link said, his eyes wide and staring aimlessly into the water beside the dock. Rhett shook his hands in front of him.

“Gosh, wait, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that to come out so creepy and forward like that.”

“That’s fine, it’s just… Our tails aren’t just propellers. There’s, y’know. Organs and things in there. And they’re kinda sensitive all around. It’d be like me asking to run my hand over your shorts.”

Rhett’s blush matched Link’s now. He hadn’t stopped to consider Merman anatomy. This was a living, breathing, feeling creature, not some kid’s museum display.

“But if you want to, I’ll let you.”

Rhett’s eyes locked onto Link’s, his face surely a spectacle of pure shock and embarrassment.

“I-I mean, in the safe zones.” Link added, shrugging, a sheepish grin showing off his pointed teeth. Rhett shook his head.

“N-no, it’s fine. I don’t want to make this weird or objectify you.” The last thing Rhett needed was to make an unwanted advance on a creature he never knew even existed until 15 minutes ago.

Link pushed himself effortlessly upwards, his full upper body now resting on the dock, the scales and rudder fin on his dorsal side now in full view of the open air and sunshine. The sight nearly took Rhett’s breath away.

“But you’ll have one hell of a story to tell, yeah? Really Rhett, it’s okay,” He said, his long tailfin raising out of the water and splashing right back down. “It’s only gonna be weird if you make it weird. Here,” Link said, hoisting himself up fully onto the dock, using his arms to rotate and slide himself back so he was sitting side by side with Rhett, the ends of his flowing tailfin dipping in and out of the water with each sway of his tail. Rhett suddenly forgot how to breathe.

Link brought a hand down to the side of his tail, around where a human’s knee joint would be, and slid his hand along the surface.

“Right here. Ain’t nothin’ there but some muscle.”

Rhett took a moment to steady himself. This wasn’t happening. Mermen don’t exist. Mermen don’t buddy up to humans. Mermen don’t let humans touch them. Mermen don’t freakin’ exist. 

He lifted a shaky hand and brought it over to Link’s tail. The scales acted almost like a disco ball, sending little reflections of greens and blues dancing across Rhett’s skin as he brought his hand closer. His fingertip barely grazed a scale before he ripped his hand away like he’d been burnt.

“No. No, no, no. There’s no way this is happening. What are you, really? Is this a joke? Is there a hidden camera somewhere? Am I dreaming--”

Rhett was stopped when Link back-handed his shoulder hard enough to cause him to gasp. 

“Gosh, yet another reason I hardly interact with your kind. Y’all lose your minds the moment you encounter something out of your little comfort bubble. Now here,” The last word was punctuated by Link grabbing hold of Rhett’s hand, pulling it over to the aforementioned spot on his tail and pressing it down firmly before removing his own grip. “I can’t decide if I’m flattered or offended you think I’m this unbelievable though, so you better get a feel before I change my mind.” He said, a hint of jest now in his voice.

Rhett swallowed hard against the lump in his throat as he carefully began to move his hand over the provided area of Link’s tail. It was very smooth, incredibly so.The tiniest of ridges were centered vertically on each scale, the only texture Rhett was able to feel. Even running his hand in the direction of Link’s upper half offered barely any resistance. He pressed down softly and could already feel the taut mass beneath it. Almost like a snake’s body, he thought. Smooth on the surface but packed with nothing but solid muscle. Rhett was utterly entranced.

“Neat, huh?”

Rhett nodded, unable to form words. He was still waiting to wake up in his own bed and realize this all really was just a dream.

“D’you swim?” Link asked, giving the water’s surface a few flicks with his tailfin. Rhett removed his hand and brought it back to his own leg, fidgeting with the hem of his shorts. He didn’t want to abuse his request.

“I can’t breathe underwater like you can. Humans don’t have… Gills?” Rhett said, gesturing his hand to the sides of his own neck, hoping the terminology was the same for Mermen as it was for fish.

“I didn’t ask that. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t gonna immediately drown if you took a dip with me.” Link said, turning his head to look up at Rhett.

“I mean, I can, but I don’t have my swim trunks.” Rhett said, tugging at his cargo shorts for emphasis.

“Yeah, and I’m naked. I’m pretty sure no one’s around to judge you on your attire.”

Rhett blushed furiously. This whole thing seemed so much more personal with that fact emphasized. 

Link rolled back over onto his belly and pushed himself back from the dock, slinking into the water once again with barely a splash. His smile, though jagged, was warm and sweet. He held out a hand, palm up, in Rhett’s direction.

“Join me?”


End file.
